The Dormition
The Dormition of the Mother of God
According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, Mary, having spent her life after Pentecost
supporting and serving the nascent Church, was living in the house of
the Apostle John, in Jerusalem, when the Archangel Gabriel revealed to
her that her repose would occur three days later.
The apostles,
scattered throughout the world, are said to have been miraculously
transported to be at her side when she died. The sole exception was Thomas,
who had been delayed. He arrived three days after her
death and is said to have seen her body leaving to
heaven. He asked her "Where are you going, O Holy One?" and then she
took off her girdle (belt) and gave it to him and said "Receive this my friend"
then she disappeared.
Thomas was taken to his fellow Apostles and asked to see her grave so
that he could bid her goodbye. Mary had been buried in Gethsemane,
according to her request. When they arrived at the grave, her body was
gone, leaving a sweet fragrance. An apparition is said to have confirmed
that Christ had taken her body to heaven after three days to be
reunited with her soul.
The Orthodox Church teaches that
Mary died a natural death, like any
human being; that her soul was received by Christ upon death; and that
her body was resurrected on the third day after her repose, at which
time she was taken up, bodily only, into heaven. Her tomb was found
empty on the third day because she had already undergone the bodily
resurrection which all will experience at the Second Coming, and stands
in heaven in that glorified state which the other righteous ones will
only enjoy after the Last Judgment.
A blessed feast to all of you!
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Abbot Tryphon
| Thursday August 28, 2014 / August 15, 2014 12th Week after Pentecost. Tone two. The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God (Novgorod). Reverence list of the Dormition Icon of the Mother of God: "Kievo-Pechersk" (1073), "Ovinovsk" (1425), "Pskov-Pechersk" (1472), "Semigorodnaya" (15th c.) and "Piukhtitsk" (16th c.). "Mosdok" (13th c.), "Atskursk" (1st. c.), "Tsilkansk" (4th c.), "Vlakhernsk" (Georgia), "Vladimirsko-Rostovsky" (12th c.), Gaenatsky (13th c.), "Bakhchisaraysk", "Chukhlomsk" (14th c.), "Surdegsk" (1530), "Tupichevsk" (17th c.) Icons of the Mother of God. Venerable Macarius the Roman, abbot (1550), and his disciple St. Chariton. New Hieromartyr Andrew (Voliansky) priest. St. Christos of Ioannina (Greek). St. Stephen, elder of Vyatka (1890). New Martyrs Priest Paul Szwajko and Presbytera Joanna, of Graboviec (Chelm and Podlasie, Poland) (1943). |
You can read the life of the saint by clicking on the highlighted name.
"Blogs and social networks give us new opportunities for the Christian mission...Not to be present there means to display our helplessness and lack of care for the salvation of our brothers." His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
The Scripture Readings for the Day
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
"Blogs and social networks give us new opportunities for the Christian mission...Not to be present there means to display our helplessness and lack of care for the salvation of our brothers." His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
The Scripture Readings for the Day
Philippians 2:5-11
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Luke 10:38-42
Mary and Martha Worship and Serve
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 11:27-28
Keeping the Word
27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
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All-Merciful Saviour Monastery is a monastery of the Western American Diocese, under the omophor of His Eminence Kyrill, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America. The Monastery is a non-profit 501 C3 organization under IRS regulations. All donations are therefore tax deductible.
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Abbot Tryphon's email address:
frtryphon@vashonmonks.com
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